We all know the story of how Lightning coach Jon Cooper went from Michigan attorney to NHL coach. But did you know it was acting as defense attorney in an animal cruelty case that prompted him to quit?

"Everyone has a right to be defended, and I was doing my job," he said. "But at that point I really didn't believe what I was doing and the cause I was fighting for. I eventually got out after that."

Cooper said his love of dogs was not the basis of his consternation: "There were just things that weren't right about it." Still, know that he keeps the ashes of his cremated Maltese, Gretzky.

Self-examination

Last week was interesting for ex-Lightning coach John Tortorella, who admitted he had not been the most cooperative interview subject in previous visits to the Tampa Bay Times Forum and he might have been wrong for that attitude. What got into Tortorella? Circumstances.

Now the coach of the Canucks, he was in Tampa on Monday — thanks to accommodating scheduling by the Lightning — for the 10th anniversary celebration of the team's 2004 Stanley Cup championship.

"I've been criticized a little bit in here that I haven't really acknowledged when I've been in here other times," Tortorella said. "I was not going to make that mistake again because I owe that to the team. This organization did this for us, the '04 team. It's a first-class group, and I'm honored to be part of that. It's a true story: You do walk forever. In the last little while … I felt that."

Quote to note

"My dad. Growing up he always tried to instill in me and my brother that no matter what you're doing, if you're on the ice or doing work in the yard, do it at your best. That's always been something that stuck with me."

RW Ryan Callahan,on the source of his work ethic

Number of the day

7 Winning goals this season for newly acquired free-agent forward Cody Kunyk of the University of Alaska-Fairbanks, tops in the nation